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Archived News:
Marvel Games creative director
Bill
Rosemann tweets that "PC fixes are on the way" to help deal with
the
recent release of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Marvel: Ultimate
Alliance 2 on Steam,
which turned out to have a
bunch of problems (thanks
Destructoid). Details are short, but he expresses optimism, saying, "#UltimateAlliance
update! MUA1 DLC and PC fixes are on the way! More details to follow from
@Activision soon!"
The Dota 2
website has word from Valve that they have opened up
The International website
in preparation for the upcoming main event in their annual Dota 2 tournament.
Things get underway on August 8th in Seattle, and they have details on how to
view the action in person, though a live stream, or via the new Dota 2 VR hub as
teams vie for a prize pool that currently stands at over $19 million. They say:
Today we’re launching
The International website,
where you can find info about the tournament format, how to watch the matches,
and the rosters of teams attending the event. You can also find links to our
social media feeds and this year’s Secret Shop. Once the games begin, continue
to check in for live matches, replays, and tournament schedule and bracket
updates.
Steam News announces
the release of Super Kaiju
in early access, offering first crack at this virtual reality game about
cancelling the apocalypse. This requires an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift headset (see
the update below), but
not even a drop of drift compatibility. Here's
a trailer and here's
word:
The Early Access release of Super Kaiju is here! We are extremely excited
to get new players into the game, and to hear your feedback. Being an Early
Access game, some of the feature are still a little rough around the edges (or
even missing). But rest assured, we are determined to push out frequent updates
to the game to bring it to a level where it is the most intense competitive
multiplayer VR game on the market.
How to play:
Super Kaiju is a first person arena shooter where two players utilize the power
of giant Kaiju’s in a battle to the death. The end goal is simple, destroy the
other player before he destroys you.
Update: A post to our forums
(thanks HoSpanky) points out that this seems to require touch controllers, so
this may not work for Rift owners in spite of it claiming compatibility, since
touch controllers for the Rift still don't even have a release date.
Update 2: The logo for the Oculus Rift was eventually removed, so this
is just a Vive title at this time.
This post notes Rift support will come with the touch controllers, and that
they are also working on gamepad support. Continue here to read the full story.
Well Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade offer ended yesterday. I wonder how
well their strong-arm tactics worked in improving penetration of the new OS?
They missed their chance with me, because I have no interest in updating my
Windows 7 PC, though they totally could have gotten my on my laptop if they had
extended the offer to older versions. This relic is still running Windows Vista,
of all things, and if it is capable of running Win10, that would probably be an
improvement. What it would definitely improve is that machine's ability to
update itself. I don't use it that often (obviously, or I wouldn't be putting up
with Vista), and when I fired it up recently it took about a full day to process
and install all the Windows updates it needed. This has apparently become a
widespread problem with Vista over the course of time, with some users
expressing suspicions that this is another of Microsoft's ways of forcing
upgrades. I hope that's not the case, as that might be a harbinger of what could
eventually happen to Windows 7.
This announcement has the short and sweet word that development is complete
on the next Deus Ex game, saying, " Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is GOLD! We
can’t wait for you all to play our game." This makes it sound like the
action/RPG sequel is on track for it's
most recent release date of
August 23rd. The game had previously been expected earlier this year, but it was
delayed until next month to better meet fans' lofty expectations.
Disney has followed up on their
announcement that they are cancelling Disney Infinity as part of their exit
from the game publishing business (thanks
Eurogamer). The Disney
Infinity website has word that the console editions will retain some
offline functionality, as will the Steam version, but the standalone PC
editions will cease to work at all in the near future, with the Windows 8/10
edition to continue into March of next year and the other PC versions to give
out on September 30th. Here's the complete rundown on when the game disks become
coasters and the related toys become dust-catchers: Below is an overview
of the timelines and additional details are available on our FAQ
pages.
As of today (July 29, 2016)
- No in-game purchases can be made within the PC,
Steam version of Disney Infinity 2.0, iOS, Google Android, Amazon Android
and Apple TV versions of the game as this feature has now been removed
- You can continue to make in-game purchases within
the Steam version of Disney Infinity 3.0.
As of September 30, 2016
- You will no longer be able to log in to play the
PC, iOS, Google Android and Amazon Android versions of Disney Infinity,
these will no longer be available on the respective app stores
- The Steam versions of Disney Infinity 2.0 & 3.0
will remain operational with the exception of all online services and
community features as these will be discontinued.
- Apple TV versions of Disney Infinity will be
removed from the AppStore
- The Disney Infinity Community team will no longer
be reviewing or approving any new Toy Boxes that are submitted to Disney for
all console, mobile and PC versions of the game. However if you are playing
on any console, Apple TV or Windows 8/10 versions of the game, you can
continue to download your favorite Toy Boxes from the Community Content
section until March 3, 2017
As of January 3, 2017
- No in-game purchases can be made within the
Windows 8/10 versions of the game as this feature will be removed
As of March 3, 2017
- Apple TV and Windows 8/10 versions will no longer
be available, supported or playable
- All Disney Infinity online services and community
features for all versions will be discontinued
To learn more about which services of Disney Infinity are being removed or
information related to your game version, visit our Closing FAQs located
here.
Saying it wasn't an easy decision,
BioWare
announces they are closing the BioWare
forums effective August 26th. Their explanation of why they are making this
move indicates the forums are redundant with today's social media, saying "there
have never been more ways for us to connect." They note they don't even frequent
their own boards as much as other sites' these days. Here's a bit: Now we
can travel around the world, meeting with you face-to-face at events like PAX,
SDCC, and even shows in our own backyard. We can share stories with you on the
go, giving you a look behind the scenes on sites like
Facebook,
Twitter,
YouTube, and
Instagram.
In turn, you’ve built your own fantastic communities in places like
Tumblr and
Reddit. You’ve created
comprehensive Wikis
and countless pieces of fantastic art, fiction, and cosplay.
With so many great things so widely available, our developers today find
themselves spending more time on other sites, and less time in our own forums.
And to our fans and players who came to those boards looking to talk to us, it
was a great disservice.
So it is with a heavy heart that we will close our public forums on August 26,
2016. We will maintain some private boards, and may use these in future for beta
feedback or other special projects.
Because we know there is a lot of information on there you may want to keep, the
public boards will remain in a read-only state until October 25, 2016. After
that date, they will be taken down.
Steam News announces the release of the
Call of the Beastmen
campaign pack for
Total War:
WARHAMMER, the fantasy-themed strategy game. Here's
a trailer showing off
the pack, and here's the news: The Beastmen... Something stirs in the
deep dark forests of The Old World. Between the twisted trunks, the Beastlords
grow restless with an all-consuming battle-thirst. They gather to them great
Warherds of barbarous, bestial fiends, forged in the Time of Chaos; dark
amalgams of human intelligence, animal cunning and raw, reckless ferocity...
Continue here to read the full story.
SEGA announces that Scott Speed is the
U.S. spokesperson for Motorsport Manager, alerting us to development of
this racing management sim that's coming to Windows and OS X in September
via Steam with a Linux
version also in the works. The
Motorsport Manager website has all the details. Here's the deal: Motorsport
Manager™, an all-new and fully immersive motorsport management PC game
experience, is proud to announce former Formula 1® driver and Global Rallycross
winner Scott Speed as its brand ambassador.
Created by Playsport Games and published by SEGA, this new title is a highly
detailed management experience for motorsport fans. Players are embedded in the
exciting world of open-wheeled racing and take on the role of team manager. You
own every decision in building your own team, starting with the construction of
your own Headquarters and workshops, through staffing and recruitment to hiring
the most experienced of drivers. Motorsport Manager then allows the player to
tune the cars, develop new parts and create race strategies in real time. Not
only do you make tactical race decisions but players can even participate in the
political manoeuvring behind the scenes to secure an edge for their team. If you
are a motorsports fan, this game will bring your fantasy of running your own
team to life. Do you have what it takes?
Motorsport Manager™ allows players and fans of motorsports to explore all
aspects of managing a racing team and who better than Scott Speed to talk about
how the depth and realism come to life in this game?
Telltale Games unveils
'Batman: Unmasked' Episode One, kicking off a series of live videos related
to BATMAN - The Telltale Series, their episodic superhero adventure that
will kick off next week. Here's word: Hosted by
kindafunny.com's Greg Miller, Batman: Unmasked is a series of after-show
discussions on all things pertaining to the The Caped Crusader’s upcoming
action-packed interactive narrative adventure. With special guests that include
comic book industry experts, community legends, cast and crew, Batman: Unmasked
delves into what makes Bruce Wayne tick, as well as in-depth dissections of each
episode of the Telltale series as they release.
In this inaugural episode, Greg talks with ComicVine's Tony Guerrero, Telltale's
CEO Kevin Bruner, and the game's Executive Producer, Sean O'Connor. Join them as
they discuss the origins of the game, as well as what you can expect in this new
five part series.
Continue here to read the full story.
-
AIRHEART receives Steam Greenlight. "AIRHEART follows Amelia, a
young pilot and sky-fisherwoman who dreams of reaching the stratosphere and
catching the legendary Skywhale, a feat that promises riches and fame
through the ages. Skyfishing is a cutthroat business, though, and Amelia
must outmaneuver sky pirates and automated security zones to survive each
perilous flight through the beautiful world of floating islands in the
clouds she calls home."
AMD support now offers version 16.7.3 Crimson reference drivers for Radeon
graphics cards, addressing some issues and improving performance for Rise of the
Tomb Raider. Here's word: Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.7.3
Highlights
- Performance Improvements:
- Rise of the Tomb Raider™ performance increase
up to 10% versus Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.7.2 on Radeon™ RX
480 graphics(1)
Fixed Issues
- Overwatch™ may experience an application crash on
some Radeon™ RX 480 configurations when using AMD Crossfire mode.
- Vulkan™ information in the Radeon Settings
software information tab may display an incorrect version.
- Radeon WattMan may retain settings of an overclock
after it has failed. If you have failed an overclock with a system hang or
reboot.
- Hitman™ may experience graphical corruption when
the game is set to use DirectX®12 API and using zoom with weapons.
- Total War™: Warhammer may experience minor
graphical corruption in some map textures on AMD Radeon R9 380.
- Flickering may be observed in Rise of the Tomb
Raider™ on some AMD Crossfire configurations using the DirectX®11 API.
- Changing settings in Dragon Age Inquisition™ with
the Mantle API may result in an application crash or driver recovery.
- DiRT™ Rally may experience flickering terrain in
some races when the advanced blending option is enabled in the games
settings page.
- Display may exhibit a minor flicker on Radeon RX
480 when Freesync is enabled on a games launch or exit.
- Shadows may experience rendering issues in DOTA2™
when using the Vulkan™ API.
- Textures may experience holes or gaps in DOOM™
when using the OpenGL API and three display AMD Eyefinity configurations.
- Need for Speed™ may experience flickering on some
light sources in AMD Crossfire mode.
- Performing a task switch with two cloned displays
during full screen gaming may cause flickering on the extended
display.
Blizzard announces One Night in Karazhan will launch on August 11th,
offering the newest adventure for Hearthstone, their card strategy game. Word is
this will launch with a bonus card pack for the first week and it will be
accompanied by a free prologue mission that can earn you two free bonus cards.
You can find more details
on this page and here's the announcement: “One Night in Karazhan will
give players the chance to party with Medivh while earning some great new cards
for their collections,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard
Entertainment. “We’re excited to reimagine one of Azeroth’s most beloved
locations in Hearthstone, and we can’t wait to see players put their new decks
to the test.”
Once you arrive at the party, you’ll find that Medivh has gone missing—and his
collection of arcane objects is running amok throughout the castle. It’s up to
you and Moroes, Medivh’s trusted butler, to keep the party under control and
find your host, while still finding time to enjoy the amenities! With a lineup
of iconic characters to encounter, everyone’s favorite enchanted chess board,
and 45 groovy new cards to add to your collection, One Night in Karazhan
promises to be an Adventure to remember.
The party starts August 11 on Windows® and Mac® PCs; Windows, iOS, and Android™
tablets; and iOS and Android mobile phones, and the four wings of One Night in
Karazhan will open on a weekly basis (one per week). One Night in Karazhan will
be available in the in-game shop in full for $19.99 USD, one wing at a time for
700 gold or $6.99 USD each, or in discounted bundles based on the number of
individual wings already purchased. Upon release, all Hearthstone players will
be able to play a prologue mission free and earn two of the Adventure’s new
cards. In addition, players who purchase the full Adventure during the first
week of its release will receive a special Karazhan-themed card back.
The Feral Radar
offers a teaser for upcoming OS X and Linux ports they currently have in the
works. Some of the items on their radar carry titles, but some are more nebulous
than that. In that vague category is one listing in the "soon" ring that shows
what looks like an image of Mars with both OS X and Linux logos. That's all
there is to go by, but it has
inspired speculation that the game being ported is id's new DOOM. Thanks
Ant.
EF-12- Fighting Game Maker is now available
on Steam, offering a
Windows fighting game with an unusual focus on customization. In addition to
allowing you to brawl with opponents, the game includes the ability to import
custom content created by yourself or others, saying this requires no
programming knowledge to add new characters and stages. Along with the game they
offer a playable demo allowing you to check out gameplay, though this does not
support these import functions. According to
Steam News, "Also, if you are keeping an eye on the guide's section. We have
added a series of guides on how to work different aspects of editing and
customizing EF-12." Here's
a trailer. Continue here to read the full story.
Happy
Sysadmin Day. It's been a couple of decades since I hung up my terminal, so
I should be done decompressing soon. I am technically sysadmin here at the
BlueTower too, but just two users I can usually handle okay.
R.I.P.:
Jerry Doyle, 'Babylon 5' Actor and EpicTimes Founder, Dies. Thanks
Neutronbeam.
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